That thing you didn’t know was illegal is now legal, and it’s a big deal

By Eric Boerer, Advocacy Director and Ngani Ndimbie, communications manager
On Tuesday, in a 9-0 final vote, city council legalized riding bicycles on wooded trails in City-owned parks! Our thanks goes to Councilman Corey O’Connor who introduced the legislation; all eight other members of council who voted for the bill’s passage; and to local mountain biker, business owner and advocate, Eryn Hughes.

Though few people knew that riding on certain paths within the city’s parks was prohibited in the first place, this is a significant victory for Pittsburgh.

We were not able to report that these park trails were available in our previous League of American Bicyclists Bike-Friendly Community applications. This change will help Pittsburgh score better during the next round as we aim to improve our status from Bronze to Silver! More things to (legally) do on bikes means that we’re more bike-friendly.

Here is the change:

(e) Bicycles confined to roads. No person in a park shall ride a bicycle on other than a paved vehicular road, wooded trail, or path designated for that purpose. A bicyclist is permitted to wheel or push a bicycle by hand over any grassy area or wooded trail or on any paved area reserved for pedestrian use.

If we may suggest some celebration ideas:

First, contact your city council person to say a big THANKS for voting to pass this legislation!

Then give a shout out to Trail Pittsburgh, the volunteer-driven organization that has been working closely with the City for years and years to maintain our city’s “singletrack” trails.

And then do a little of this…

And some of this…

And/or this. I mean, why not? It’s legal!

First photo courtesy of Kitaira Stotler, second image by Joe Serkoch for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and third image by Noah Purdy – noahpurdy.com.

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Take action for a safe Fifth/Forbes. There is an urgent need for safe spaces to bike in Oakland – the Fifth/Forbes corridor is deadly for cyclists. We need YOU to join our coalition to take action and help us transform the corridor.